

BJJ Mental Models
Steve Kwan
Your guide to a conceptual and intelligent Jiu-Jitsu approach. BJJ black belt Steve Kwan and a slate of expert guests explain the concepts, strategies, and tactics behind the gentle art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 5, 2023 • 1h 22min
Ep. 235: Bad Marriage Jiu-Jitsu, feat. Gant Grimes
This week we're joined by Gant Grimes! Gant is a black belt training out of Red River Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Wichita Falls, Texas. He holds black belts in BJJ, JJJ, and Judo, and has 30 years of martial arts experience. In this episode, Gant shares his belief that good Jiu-Jitsu looks like a bad marriage: know what makes them happy, and take it away.Contact Gant:kosotobjj@gmail.comMental models discussed in this episode:Theory of Alignmenthttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/theory-of-alignment/Defense Paradoxhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/defense-paradox/Ecological Psychologyhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/ecological-psychology/Keep it Playfulhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful/Grips Dictate Positionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/grips-dictate-position/Dictate the Pacehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/dictate-the-pace/Economy of Motionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/economy-of-motion/Path of Least Resistancehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/path-of-least-resistance/Solid Frameshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/solid-frames/Mask Your Intentionshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/mask-your-intentions/Jita Kyoeihttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/jita-kyoei/Win Conditionshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions/Position Over Submissionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/position-over-submission/Technique Chaininghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/technique-chaining/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

May 29, 2023 • 57min
Ep. 234: Gripfighting From the Bottom, feat. Jon Thomas
This week we're joined again by Jon Thomas! In this episode, Jon draws on his guard expertise to share mental models and best practices for gripfighting from the bottom.Follow Jon on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jonthomasbjj/Subscribe to Jon's YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@JonThomasBJJCheck out Jon's website for instructionals:https://www.jonthomasbjj.com/Mental models discussed in this episode:Controlling the Distancehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/controlling-the-distance/Grips Dictate Positionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/grips-dictate-position/Elbow-Knee Connectionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/elbow-knee-connection/Probabilistic Thinkinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/probabilistic-thinking/Economy of Motionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/economy-of-motion/Path of Least Resistancehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/path-of-least-resistance/Controlled Breathinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/controlled-breathing/Staying Loosehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/staying-loose/Intentionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/intention/Concepts Over Techniqueshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/concepts-over-techniques/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

9 snips
May 24, 2023 • 22min
BONUS: Less Impressed More Instructionals Ep.1: Open Guard
Jake Luigi, the mind behind Less Impressed More Involved, discusses open guard in this engaging podcast. He covers the best new instructionals, the key lessons they teach, and his recommendations. Topics include guard retention, balancing denial and engagement, reacting to a guard pass, and the importance of leg locks in open guard.

May 22, 2023 • 1h 33min
Ep. 233: Gripfighting From the Top, feat. Chris "The Villain" Paines
This week we're joined again by Chris "The Villain" Paines! Chris is a BJJ Globetrotter and a black belt under Priit Mihkelson. In this week's episode, Chris shares his strategies for gripfighting from the top.Watch Chris' viral YouTube video, "How to Defend Everything:"https://youtu.be/BWitv9AKoNUBuy Chris' instructionals on BJJ Fanatics:https://bit.ly/43bQXzWFollow Chris on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chrisvillainbjj/Subscribe to Chris on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisPainesBJJSupport Chris on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/VilaobjjMental models discussed in this episode:Grips Dictate Positionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/grips-dictate-position/Elbow-Knee Connectionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/elbow-knee-connection/Phases of Guardhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/phases-of-guard/Concepts Over Techniqueshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/concepts-over-techniques/Phases of Passinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/phases-of-passing/Inside Channel Controlhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/inside-channel-control/Center of Gravityhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/center-of-gravity/3 Joint Rulehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/3-joint-rule/Prevention Over Curehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/prevention-over-cure/Limb Coilinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/limb-coiling/Win Conditionshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

May 15, 2023 • 1h 20min
Ep. 232: Mental Models for Featherweights, feat. Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth
This week we're joined by Josh "Kintanon" Wentworth! Josh is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the head instructor at Apex MMA in Georgia, and a longtime presence on forums like Bullshido and Reddit. Josh is a small guy in a gym full of giants, and normally competes at light featherweight. In this episode, Josh shares concepts and strategies for smaller grapplers who want to be effective against much larger opponents.Troll Josh on Reddit:https://reddit.com/u/kintanonTrain with Josh at Apex MMA in Georgia:https://www.apexconyers.com/Mental models discussed in this episode:Types of Guardhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/types-of-guard/Body Tetheringhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/body-tethering/Elbow-Knee Connectionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/elbow-knee-connection/Return on Investmenthttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/return-on-investment/Overwhelming Forcehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/overwhelming-force/Static vs. Dynamic Controlhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/static-vs-dynamic-control/Force Vectorshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/force-vectors/Surface Areahttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/surface-area/You Are What You Trainhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/you-are-what-you-train/Grips Dictate Positionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/grips-dictate-position/Asymmetric Warfarehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/asymmetric-warfare/Prioritize Longevityhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcaGet Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

May 8, 2023 • 1h
Ep. 231: Mental Models for Ultra-Heavyweights, feat. James "300" Foster
This week we're joined by James "300" Foster! James is a 3x black belt masters world champion, 4th degree black belt under Giva Santana, and the head coach at Foster Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He's also a big boy! In this episode, James shares mental models and training strategies for larger grapplers.Follow James on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/james300foster/Subscribe to James' YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@James300FosterTrain with James:http://fosterbjj.com/Mental models discussed in this episode:Phases of Passinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/phases-of-passing/Layers of Guardhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/layers-of-guard/Train With Purposehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/train-with-purpose/Asymmetric Warfarehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/asymmetric-warfare/Dominant Angleshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/dominant-angles/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

May 1, 2023 • 1h 3min
Ep. 230: Old Bastard Injury Prevention, feat. Mike Mahaffey
This week we're joined again by Mike Mahaffey! In addition to being "the Old Bastard Jiu-Jitsu guy," Mike is a black belt under Chris Haueter. In this episode, Mike shares how all of us (especially us older grapplers) can reduce our risk of injury while remaining effective at Jiu-Jitsu. Follow Mike on Instagram:https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj/Listen to Mike's prior appearance on BJJMM:https://bjj.plus/191Mental models discussed in this episode:Short-Term / Long-Term Paradoxhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/short-term-long-term-paradox/Stress and Recoveryhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/stress-and-recovery/Consistencyhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/consistency/Prioritize Longevityhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/Table Selectionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/table-selection/Limb Coilinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/limb-coiling/Myopiahttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/myopia/Tipping Pointshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/tipping-points/Growth From Discomforthttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/growth-from-discomfort/Economy of Motionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/economy-of-motion/Theory of Alignmenthttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/theory-of-alignment/Win Conditionshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/win-conditions/Constraints-Led Approachhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/constraints-led-approach/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

Apr 24, 2023 • 1h 31min
Ep. 229: The Abundance Mindset, feat. Emily Kwok
This week we're joined again by fan-favorite Emily Kwok! Emily is a 4x black belt world champion (2x adult, 2x masters) and a black belt under Marcelo Garcia. In this episode, Emily explains how a mindset of abundance (as opposed to scarcity) is essential not just for our individual development, but also the development of the entire sport. Follow Emily on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/emilykwokbjj/Connect with Emily for coaching:https://www.emilykwok.com/Mental models discussed in this episode:Abundance Mindsethttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/abundance-mindset/Table Selectionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/table-selection/Constraints-Led Approachhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/constraints-led-approach/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

Apr 17, 2023 • 1h 36min
Ep. 228: Inspiration, feat. Rafael Lovato Jr. & Dominyka Obelenyte
This week we're joined by two living legends requiring no introduction: Dominyka Obelenyte and Rafael Lovato Jr.! Both multi-time world champions in their own right, Dominyka and Rafael lead an awesome panel conversation about how each generation of Jiu-Jitsu athletes inspires the next.Follow Dominyka on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/domdabomburmom/Follow Rafael Lovato Jr. on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lovatojrbjj/Learn from Rafael Lovato Jr. on his site, Timeless Jiu-Jitsu:https://timelessjiujitsu.com/Timeless Jiu-Jitsu on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/626467251528075Timeless Jiu-Jitsu on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/timeless_jiujitsu/Mental models discussed in this episode:Intentionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/intention/Prioritize Longevityhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/prioritize-longevity/Stress & Recoveryhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/stress-and-recovery/Compoundinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/compounding/Making Smaller Circleshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/making-smaller-circles/Short-term/Long-term Paradoxhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/short-term-long-term-paradox/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake

Apr 10, 2023 • 1h 8min
Ep. 227: Designated Winners, feat. Josh McKinney
This week we're joined by Josh McKinney! Josh is a coach at HeadnodHQ in Illinois and a black belt under Kyle Watson. In this episode, Josh talks about "designated winners," a collaborative training concept he popularized which has come up on BJJ Mental Models recently.Listen to Josh's podcast, the I Suck At Jiu-Jitsu Show:https://anchor.fm/isuckatjiujitsushowTrain with Josh at HeadnodHQ in Illinois:https://headnodhq.com/Follow Josh on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thejoshmckinney/Email Josh:josh@simplifyingjiujitsu.comMental models discussed in this episode:Jita Kyoeihttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/jita-kyoei/Keep it Playfulhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/keep-it-playful/Learning Modalitieshttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/learning-modalities/Incremental Learninghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/incremental-learning/Curse of Knowledgehttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/curse-of-knowledge/Teach to Learnhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/teach-to-learn/You Are What You Trainhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/you-are-what-you-train/Self-Competitionhttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/self-competition/Mental Gatekeepinghttps://bjjmentalmodels.com/mental-gatekeeping/Don't forget to check out BJJ Mental Models Premium!If you love the podcast, you'll definitely love our premium membership offerings. The podcast is truly just the tip of the iceberg – the next steps on your journey are joining our community, downloading our strategy courseware, and working with us to optimize your game. We do all this through memberships that come in at a fraction of the cost of a single private.Sign up here for a free trial:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/Need more BJJ Mental Models?Get tips, tricks, and breakthrough insights from our newsletter:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/newsletter/Get nitty-gritty details on our mental models from the full database:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/database/Follow us on social:https://facebook.com/bjjmentalmodels/https://instagram.com/bjjmentalmodels/Music by Enterprize:https://enterprize.bandcamp.com/Get Jake O'Driscoll's triple threat ankle lock course, FREE:https://bjjmentalmodels.com/jake